Transformer welders and current control

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Do simple transformer welder weld differently than solid state machines? With a simple transformer the current would naturally increase as you shorten the arc. With something like my Lincoln 175 the current stays the same if the voltages changes. (at least I think it does). With constant current, if the arc gets longer the power in the arc would increase since the voltage goes up and current stays the same.  It seems to me that  a simple transformer machine would be easier to weld with because it would keep the power constant as the arc length varied.
Reply:That is a loaded question and a good one at that.I had a Linconln weldmanpower G7 for a LOT of  years.  I got to be pretty good with it.  Then I bought a "solid state" Ranger 250.  It was like I had to learn to weld all over again.The G7 I could control the heat to some extent by changing the arc length.  With the new machine, it keeps the amp setting within one amp no matter how long or short the arc is.  At first I had a bitch of a time welding with it.  I made a few calls to Lincoln and put a recording amp meter on it.  It truly does keep within one amp of the setting no matter how long or short the arc is.  I then learned if my hands shake (which they do) the amps stay consistent.  I soon found out I could also keep a really short arc with 7018 and get a nice smooooth spatter free weld with out putting the arc out.With that machine and all of my inverters I find my self making small adjustments on the amp control to get the perfect or close to it.  It took me 100 hours of use to get the total hang of the new ranger 250 using mig and stick.  But now that I got a feel for it, I can make better welds than before.David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I like stick welding with my PowCon alot, which is an inverter, and liked stick welding with the CST 280 I have used too, which is also an inverter.   By the same token, I like stick welding with my Dialarc HF just as well and it's a transformer/rectifier machine.   My Thermal Arc is an inverter but I don't care for stick welding with it.  It tigs nice though.  Maybe I'm not enough of a stick weldin man to appreciate the differences in the different types of machines' abilities.  If I mess up the weld, 99 times out of 100, it's me that goofed it up, not the machine.  That said, I think all of my future machine purchases will be inverters though regardless of process, cause they are just so much smaller and lighter and use so much less power to do the same task.  The down side is the inverters are still comparitively more expensive, but pricing has been comming down on them a bit, especially in the plasma cutters.  My Bobcat is an engine driven alternator machine, so I guess it doesn't fit in either the transformer or inverter categories but it welds OK anyways.   I might not think so highly of the Bobcat if I compared it back to back with a Trailblazer or Ranger or SA200 or XMT, but it does the jobs fine for me for now.  MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I have to agree with you desertrider, My TA-185 doesn't run 7018 as well as I would like either.  It much prefers 6013.   The arc force is not adjustable and factory set too high for me.David Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I am having difficulty learning how to whip 6011 rod and I was thinking it might be because I have a constant current welder.  When you pull the electrode away from the puddle the heat just seems to go higher rather than let things cool off a bit. I probably just need to learn how to keep the arc short when I pull ahead and make it a bit longer at the puddle.
Reply:Constant current is the accepted mode for stick welding so you're using the right machine.  Whip forward and pull back instead of pulling up and pushing down, or you can do circles along the joint if that works better for you.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:With 6011 Circles work better for me, but with 6010 I prefer to whip and pause.  Like desertrider said whip forward and pull back.  Don't lift the rod away from the work piece, let it dig in then move back and fill what it dug out.
Reply:Originally Posted by delweldsWith 6011 Circles work better for me, but with 6010 I prefer to whip and pause.  Like desertrider said whip forward and pull back.  Don't lift the rod away from the work piece, let it dig in then move back and fill what it dug out.